The metric system, actually the SI system when used in science, is based on a combination of base units and prefixes. For example, the base units for mass are grams (g), for volume liters (l), and for distance meters (m). The prefixes tell you how the size of the base units has changed. They are like exponents telling you which way to move the decimal point and how many places.

For example, the prefix "c"...

The metric system, actually the SI system when used in science, is based on a combination of base units and prefixes. For example, the base units for mass are grams (g), for volume liters (l), and for distance meters (m). The prefixes tell you how the size of the base units has changed. They are like exponents telling you which way to move the decimal point and how many places.

For example, the prefix "c" means centi - or 1/100. To change meters to centimeters you multiply by 100 (move the decimal two places to the right). To change centimeters to meters you divide by 100 or move the decimal two places to the left. Thus, 100 cm = 1 m and 1 cm = 0.01 m.

The same is true for the other common prefixes such as milli (m), micro (u), deci (d) and kilo (k).

a milliliter is 1/1000th of a liter, a millimeter is 1/1000 th of a meter, etc.

A microgram is 1/1,000,000 th of a gram.

A kilometer is 1000 meters.

A deciliter is 1/10th of a liter.

By knowing the common prefixes and their meanings you can easily make any conversions between two different units.

There is some confusion in the example of conversion of metric system given in the question that is:

43 centimeters = 0.00056 kilograms

Centimeter is a unit of length and kilogram a unit of mass. These two do not have any standard conversion ratio. However in specific cases an object with some par of it measuring 43 centimeter may weigh 0.00056 kilograms.

In general cases we can convert one unit in to another only when both the unit measure the same characteristics.

However I am giving below a general discussion of conversion in metric system followed by answers to the conversions required in the question.

Metric system is a decimal system. This means that each unit is 10 times larger or smaller than the next unit for the same characteristic.

Thus the basic unit for length is meter. The next bigger unit for length is decameter that is equal to 10 meters and the next smaller one is decimeter, which is equal to 1/10th of a meter.

The basic unit of length in metric system is meter and that for mass is gram. Another unit in metric system is liter which is used for measuring volume. In this way there are many basic units measuring different variables. The other bigger or smaller units used are represented by standard prefixes attached to the basic unit. These prefixes and their corresponding values are listed below.